The Ugly Little Dragonling
by SoaringHawk257
Summary: Ruby, the abandoned dragon left out by Diamond, is raised by another dragon. Overcoming great obstacles, she learns about the prophecy of Lord Dragonvale, and realizes her mission to defeat the Eternal Evil and the Dragons of the Blood Kingdom, as well as saving all of Dragonkind. Will Ruby be able to do it? Will she be strong enough to conquer the evil?
1. The Beginning

**The Ugly Little Dragonling**

**Author's Notes: This is my second fanfic, and it's about Dragonvale. **

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 1: Part One: Before It All Happened**

Long ago, there were only eleven months, instead of twelve. The dragons of Dragonvale lived a happy life. Life was relaxing. Dragons basked in the sun and bathed in the crystal clear water while tromping in the lush green forests every day.

The ten guardians, which were the birthstone dragons, were to protect the Universe Of Dragons from peril.

But one day, a giant meteor of Eternal Darkness crashed on the Dragon Planet.

The meteor was supposedly from a dark force far, far away. Legends said that the world far away was for the evil monster and dragons who wanted vengeance and war.

Smoke rose from the crater, foretelling a land full of darkness and depression…

From then, the dragons were scared, and cowered in their caves. Fun only existed for a little while. The rest of the time of the day was depressing. The forests had burned up, the lakes had dried up or become a dirty murky brown, and the sun was covered by smoke and clouds.

Currently, the ten dragons gazed at the Evil Meteor, silent and thinking in the time of peril.

"Darkness…" The Amethyst Dragon murmured, eyes wide with terror.

"What are we going to do?" Diamond Dragon whispered.

Silence rang, and the feeling of trouble seeped into the once-happy world.

Nothing would be the same again.

Suddenly, there was a great, blindingly white flash. Looking up, the Eleven Guardians saw the hope they needed.

"Lord Dragonvale," Opal Dragon bowed down. "We need help, please. What can we do?"

"Do not fear, Guardians," The Lord of Dragons gazed down with his glowing white eyes.

"What do you mean?" The Garnet Dragon asked, surprised.

"Something will change the world forever…"

_One shall rise,_

_In the reign of Eternal Darkness._

_She will save the world and all of Dragonvale._

_She will rise through the darkness and prove to be strong._

_Darkness prevails, but will be beaten by the hero._

The Dragon Lord faded, glowing eyes blinking one last time. Darkness settled once more in his place.

"I wonder what that means…" Pearl Dragon pondered.

"Who will our hero be?" Peridot Dragon asked.

**Part Two: Months Before…**

"Our babies, Peridot, they will be so beautiful!" Diamond tells Peridot.

The eggs were all blue and green. That is, except for a blood-red egg, which is slightly smaller than the rest of the other eggs.

"What about that red egg?" Peridot sniffs it.

"I don't know, but maybe it will still be normal," Diamond conceded.

Life passed on and on, until the hatching day.

**Part Three: The Hatching (The Present)**

CRAAACKK!

"My eggs are hatching!" An excited voice whispers.

"I know, Diamond," Another voice says.

"I can't wait, Peridot. They will all be beautiful…" Diamond murmurs.

Blinding light pierces the little dragonling's vision, and she has to blink to adjust. There is a small crack in her shell, which she sees a blue and green dragon looking intently at the eggs.

More cracking sounds around her break the silence.

Peeping sounds, which were Dragonling sounds, erupt from several Dragonlings which had just hatched.

"Awwww…" A motherly voice coos.

For a while, the mother and father, who were Diamond and Peridot, nuzzled the babies and showered their love upon them. All of the babies were blue and green, like small, miniature versions of their parents.

"I wonder when that red egg will hatch. It should have hatched earlier," Diamond said, worriedly.

Peridot looked. The egg had a little crack in it…

"There is a crack in the egg. Perhaps it will hatch soon, Diamond," Peridot reassured Diamond.

Sure enough, the red egg hatched a few minutes later.

_Push, push, push!_ The little dragonling thought in her egg. She felt concealed and trapped.

Using her egg horn, she rammed the crack with all of the might she had.

CRAAACCCKKKKK! The egg splintered. Some progress was made, and the little dragonling got even more determined. Pushing out with her limbs, tail, and horn, she eventually broke the shell.

Peridot and Diamond gasped. _Why are they looking at me like that?_ The dragonling wondered.

"She is… different," Peridot murmured. "Similar to Garnet, but a darker red."

Diamond just kept staring.

The little dragonling looked at her own scales. They were blood-red. Looking into a murky puddle nearby, she could just make out that she had emerald green eyes.

_What am I?_ She wondered.

The others had blue or golden eyes. But not her; she had green ones.

The others had green or tan scales, with blue or green gems. But she had red scales with red gems.

_Why am I different?_

Diamond's face shifted into disgust. "It should be the same, but look! It has the strangest green eyes and red scales. It is an abnormal creature. That dragonling doesn't belong."

"Diamond! You should know better about leaving a dragon out. It's against the Dragon Law- Never leave a dragon behind. Everyone belongs," Peridot told Diamond.

"But it looks so different! It will be a disgrace, something so **ugly**! It needs to be sent away." Diamond sneered.

Peridot looked angry, and stepped towards the little dragonling. "Look, she may be different, but she is special. There is no other dragon like her."

"I know, but she is like ink on a piece of paper! She looks hideous." (**Author's Notes: In this fanfiction, the dragons are able to communicate by paper and ink**) Diamond snorted. "Take her away. I don't care at all. Leave her in the wild, if you have to!" She bared her teeth and nipped the baby dragon on the tail. The red dragonling yelped and started to whimper and back away.

The big green dragon stepped back, submissive. He didn't really want to cause an argument, so he gave in. "Okay…" He was reluctant.

Gently picking up the red dragon by the nape of her neck, he walked away. All of the dragons (Diamond and the dragonlings) stared.

_What is Peridot doing?_ The red dragonling looked downwards, seeing the grass and flowers fly by. The dragonling didn't know that they were flying.

After an hour of flying, Peridot landed at the base of a brown, murky waterfall.

"I'm sorry, daughter," Peridot settled beside the red dragonling. "You must fend for yourself. Your mother doesn't like you, so I really had no choice…" He took a look at the nip on the red dragonling's tail.

_Her tail will be deformed forever,_ Peridot realized. The wound had stopped bleeding, but it was mutilated. Peridot shuddered.

"Keep this forever," Peridot whispered to the little one, and made a necklace out of a sturdy black string and a magically conjured ruby. "I'll miss you forever. Just remember that I'll love you forever," His voice cracked and he nuzzled the dragonling for the last time.

"Your scales are made of rubies. Rubies symbolize passion and love. They are also to keep the evil away." He told the dragonling.

"I name you Ruby. You will be the one to fill the lonely with passion and love. Being immune to the evil, you will be the one to save the world from the Eternal Evil that threatens Dragonkind, according to the prophecy of Lord Dragonvale."

Gazing at Ruby for the last time, he advised, "Be safe, little one. Never give up. All of Dragonkind are waiting for you."

And with that, he flew away, up into the smoky gray skies. That was the last of what Ruby ever saw of her father, Peridot.

**Author's Notes: How did you like it? Poor Ruby was abandoned. At least her father loves her. How will Ruby deal with this life-scarring memory? Stay tuned for the next chapter, everybody!**


	2. The Attack!

**Author's Notes: It's Summer Break! I will be able to write more chapters. Sorry for the long delay.**

**Don't forget to comment.**

* * *

**Chapter 2: **Life on Cherrybrook Mountain, fifteen years later

_Mother rejected me… Father loved me… Who am I?_

Ruby opened her eyes, and adjusted to the brightness of the morning.

"Ruby dear! Time to get up!" Safra called. Safra was Ruby's adoptive mother, a Lotus Dragon. Ruby got up, and stretched. Her brilliant red wings stretched, reflecting the sunlight. Crawling out of the spacious cave home, she walked over to the tree stump, which represented a dining table. Ruby settled down on a moss chair.

"Ah, there you are, Ruby. You look brilliant today," Safra said cheerfully as she set a bowl of Milk and leafy greens onto the table.

"You always say that, Mother," Ruby mumbled, while munching the leaves.

"Be polite, dear. And mind your manners. No talking while eating," Safra teased. Ruby didn't say anything. She watched the Moss Dragons' daily family trip to the water-hole.

"Mother, why are you my mother, when mothers and dragonlings are supposed to look exactly alike? We look completely different," Ruby wondered.

Mother stopped. "Well, that is a long story," she responded.

"Tell me! It doesn't make sense."

"Okay, then. I was watching when your father dropped you off at the front of this cave. He seemed reluctant to let you go."

_I remember… Father loved me…_ Ruby thought of her dream, which was a jumble of words.

"I could read minds, so I saw from your Father's mind that you didn't look like your other siblings. You looked completely different."

"I have a father? Do I have a mother as well? Is she still living?"

"I'm pretty sure of it. But it's been so long since that time. I don't really know. All I can tell you is that your mother was tan and blue, while your father was green."

"Oh," Ruby said, staring at her bowl of milk.

"Honestly, don't worry about it. You have a good life here," Lotus reassured Ruby.

"Hi, Turquoise," Ruby yelled. A blue dragon looked up.

"G'morning, Ruby," The dragonling yelled back, and came over. He flew over some logs, and perched beside the smaller Ruby dragon. "How're doing?"

"I'm doing well. Do you want to play?"

"Sure! How about DragonBall?" Turquoise suggested.

"Okay. Cool!" Ruby agreed.

"I'll bring the moss ball," Turquoise said. He ran off and returned moments later with a medium-sized ball of rolled-up moss.

"Ready?" Turquoise shouted, and flung the ball. Ruby caught it and threw it back. Sometimes the two just threw and caught it, other times they would whack it back and forth.

After an hour of play, the two dragonlings sat down, exhausted.

"You know, I've always been wondering about my mother and father. Why am I here? Safra is not my real mother, even though she is really kind and loving..."

Turquoise was deep in thought. "I wondered about that too. Why would they do that?"

"I don't know."

"We should find your parents then," Turquoise suggested.

"Is that even possible?"

"Probably. I hope so-"

**BOOOOMMM!**

"What was that?" Ruby jumped in alarm.

Somewhere close by, there was a large crater near the water-hole. Smoke was rising. Dragons were screaming in fear.

"Ruby! Where are you?" Safra called, worry in her voice.

"You should go back. I should be too, just in case anything else happens," Turquoise told Ruby.

"Alright. I hope nothing bad happens," Ruby replied, and ran back to her mother.

Ruby and Safra went into their house in the hollow tree, where they watched smoke rise and menacing dragons come up.

"It's the Dragons of the Blood Kingdom... Run!"

"Where are the Gemstone Dragons?"

"Save us!"

There were several shrieks as the evil dragons started towards the other dragons. Ruby shook in fear.

"My, I've never seen such a thing... in many years. Why did they come back?" Safra gasped.

Ruby was curious despite of the fear. "Who are they?"

"They're the Dragons of the Blood Kingdom. It's a place that dragons are cruel and evil. We live in the Gemstone Realm, where there is peace, where evil is banished. But somehow, the barrier that blocked the evil was broken. That is why those dragons are here. They will kill and get the vengeance they have always wanted on us."

Ruby shook in fear.

Safra and Ruby watched as the wave of bloodthirsty dragons drew closer and closer.

But in the corner of her eye, there was a flash.

"Mom... Look!" Safra looked.

"Ah, it's the Gemstone Dragons. They're coming to the rescue," Safra sighed in relief.

However, the wave was advancing quickly. The Dragons of the Blood Kingdom were now very close to Safra's and Ruby's home. Many of the dragons that were living on the island were all running away. Several had been killed so far.

The Gemstone Dragons were nearing...

"Our house is on fire!" Safra screamed, snapping Ruby back to the present.

"We must get out, or we won't survive!" Safra urged, opening the window.

Safra and Ruby flew out the window as quickly as they could. The evil dragons started to advance towards the two dragons.

"Ruby! You must fly fast. I'll be right after you! Don't worry!"

But there was something to worry about.

They were surrounded, doomed to die.

* * *

**Author's Notes: This is a cliffhanger! I will be making a chapter tomorrow, hopefully uploading it very soon. Comment and suggest some ideas! Maybe I'll take them in, but I already have an idea for this fanfic.**


	3. Fighting Against the Blood

**AN: Sorry for the little delay. Without further ado, please enjoy and happy Independence Day for tomorrow!**

* * *

The hero dragons come! The gemstone dragons come to the rescue as they use their powers to ward off the evil.

However, it would still be a close fight.

There was nearly four times more evil dragons of the Blood Kingdom than the Gemstone Dragons.

There was a green dragon, a white pearly dragon, another different looking green dragon, and much more.

Ruby thought she could recognize two of them. "Mother... Father?" She whispered quietly among the chaos. Nobody heard her.

But she remembered that she and Safra were still surrounded.

"Give us the red dragon..." One said as it pointed a rotten claw towards Ruby.

"What do you want with me?" Ruby growled, despite the fear coming up in her voice.

The dragons lunged towards Ruby.

Grabbing her, Ruby screamed for Safra. "SAFRA! HELP ME! AIEEE!" She was suffocated by the other dragons as they held on to her tightly.

"LET HER GO!" an unfamiliar voice yells. Actually, it does sound quite familiar. Ruby hadn't heard that voice for more than a decade. Struggling, she looks and sees the green dragon she recognizes.

The green dragon blows his magical breath, which the evil dragons back away from. One of them gets hit and gets knocked unconscious from it. The green dragon lunges and rams the dragon holding Ruby. Ruby is released.

"I didn't know that I would see you again," the green dragon was surprised. "Ruby?"

"How do you know my name? Wait- you must be my father!" Ruby recognizes. "Watch out, behind you, though-"

Ruby's father whips around and whacks the dragon away. "Fly away. You must be kept safe. I will distract them."

"But-" Ruby was confused. "Why?"

"They are after you," was all that her father said, and shoved her away just before the green dragon became surrounded by the other bloodthirsty dragons. Ruby could do nothing but fly as far as she could.

Safra joined her along the way.

"Hurry, I'll be right after you. You heard your father. You are what they're looking for."

_But why? _Ruby wonders. _Why would they be after me? It's not like I'm some special dragon or something- _For an instant, Ruby doubted it. If she wasn't a special dragon, why would they be after her?

The two dragons flew far away, to another island. It was a long flight. When the came, they hid, digging a small hole under a big boulder so they wouldn't be seen.

"Wait!" another voice says.

It was Turquoise! He was already at the island, hiding.

"Come and hide with us!" Safra calls, worry sharp in her voice.

Turquoise squeezes in, and fits into the room where Safra and Ruby are. "That was scary..." Turquoise admits. "Will this be the end?"

"Oh, don't be ridiculous," Ruby comforts. "I'm sure the other dragons- the gemstone dragons- will be able to ward those other evil dragons away." But all of them slightly doubted that. What if the dragons of the Blood Kingdom were able to resist the good Gemstone Dragons?"

* * *

Back to the battle, Peridot and all of his other Gemstone Dragons were occupied fighting. Peridot was trapped, however.

"You will pay." The biggest dragon says. He is bloody and grotesque, and Peridot backs away.

He lunges towards the helpless Peridot dragon.

Time seemed to slow down.

"The time has come to me. I will pass my role onto my daughter, Ruby..." Peridot swears, before all goes black to him.

Meanwhile, the other dragons witnessed the death of Peridot. He is dead, but his body disappears in a golden light.

"He must have passed on his role, I bet," Diamond sadly concludes. "Hopefully. But who did he pass it to?"

When a gemstone dragon died, he or she disappeared in a golden light.

But a fight was still needed to be finished. The gemstone dragons came together at one.

"Attack!" they shouted. They used their magic to fight back, and many of the bloodthirsty dragons either retreated or died, due to the magic.

After that, the dragons of the Blood Kingdom all went back, reluctant.

One was there to stay. It was the leader.

"You! You shall pay," Diamond yells, with some grief in her voice. "Your killing of our friend Peridot will not go unseen."

"Later," the leader growls. "We will be back later to annihilate all of you and the dragons of the Gemstone Kingdom!"

With that, the leader disappears into the portal.

* * *

**AN: Sorry if this chapter was short. But I hope you did enjoy it! See you later, and please review to suggest if you want.**


	4. The Vision

**AN: Hello everybody, and sorry for the long delay! Please enjoy, and I'll be updating soon, I hope.**

* * *

Everything was so scary after that incident. Hiding under that rock only made it worse, as Ruby wondered if those Blood Dragons would ever discover their hiding place.

But it never happened. Safra, Turquoise, and Ruby all remained quiet every time they heard the whirring of wings around the rock, as they looked for fugitives.

"I can't believe that that dragon is my father," Ruby murmurs, while in the small, dug out room they all fit in to sleep in.

"I know. But look, you were different from all the others. You had certain traits like them, like your scales glimmered, and only the Gemstone Guardian Dragons have those types of scales. No one really believed it, but you must be one of them," Safra responded softly.

Ruby stared in the dimness. "Then what am I supposed to do? I hope my father's okay."

"Hopefully," Safra agreed. "But I know that not all Gemstone Guardians are immortal. Some die while fighting, or sickness, just like any other dragon. It's just that they're stronger and each have a special power. Now, let's get some sleep. We can't really stay here forever, so we might as well move to a different island soon."

All three settled into sleep, but Ruby somehow couldn't. Something told her that something was wrong.

_What is wrong with me? There isn't anything to worry about right now._

She shook her head, and slowly settled into sleep.

* * *

_Everything was white, with no detail or anything whatsoever. Ruby looked around, wondering where she was._

_"Ruby?" Ruby jerked her head around, locating the voice._

_Didn't she hear that voice before? The one who was her true father. _

_Why is he here?_

_Ruby stared up and saw the green dragon's eyes, a hazel-like color. His green scales glowed brilliantly, and had long horns._

_"This is not a dream, it is a vision." Her father said. "I am here to pass down my role to you, as I died during the ambush of the Blood Dragons. It is you who fills in my role of the Gemstone Guardians."_

_She hesitated. "But _how_? I've never had any experience of being a guardian-"_

_"You do know what to do, Ruby, it lies in your heart. You will know what to do." The green dragon interrupted Ruby's protest. "They are after you. You have something special."_

_"What is special about me?" Ruby questioned._

_"You will know when the right time comes, but I know that those dragons will come after you. No one knows what your power really is, but what you hold is so powerful that if it is put in the wrong claws of those others, it will create even more bloodshed. You are the one who has the potential to use this power to protect you and your friends."_

_Ruby nodded. "I'll try my best, but I still don't know what to do."_

_"You will know in time. Don't worry. And even through the toughest of times, know that your friends and I are watching, and will help you."_

* * *

With a jolt, Ruby awakened.

_A vision, that I am to fill in my father's role? How? _She still had doubts in her mind.

"Is something wrong?" Turquoise looked at her in concern.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just thinking about that fight."

Turquoise nodded. "I'm sure that we'll be fine for now."

Ruby yawned. "I should get more rest then, so we can all head out later for someplace safer."

Both went to get more rest before they would start running away even further.

* * *

"Alright, here are some Dragon Fruit. Don't eat it all, so we can save it for later and eat some. Collect some extra berries on the way, if we don't get seen, alright?" Safra told the two younger dragons. Both nodded.

"We all have to be very quiet. Now, let's go."

Safra dug them all outside, peeked around, and motioned for them to come. It didn't seem as if there were any enemies around.

"That's good, so now we can sneak in those trees over there. Ruby, fly below us, so your red scales don't show."

Ruby obeyed, and they all flew towards the small forest at the edge of this island.

Silently, they hid in the thick leaves. Turquoise snuck ahead on Safra's command to see where else to hide.

"There's another island in the distance," Turquoise pointed out with a claw.

Safra peeked too.

"We should probably go there. Hopefully those Blood Dragons haven't moved to that place yet. Let's see… We'll fly below the island. Come on." Safra led the way, and Ruby flew below. They reached the edge of the island, and flew past the edge safely.

Without a word, they started their long flight to the next island.

* * *

**AN: Review and see you next time. I hope you enjoyed very much!**


	5. Island of Gemstones

**AN: Another chapter is here! Enjoy!**

* * *

Days passed as the trio flew through the sky, staying near the rocky bottoms of the floating islands.

_"You do know what to do, Ruby, it lies in your heart. You will know what to do. They are after you. You have something special."_

_"What is special about me?"_

_"You will know when the right time comes, but I know that those dragons will come after you. No one knows what your power really is, but what you hold is so powerful that if it is put in the wrong claws of those others, it will create even more bloodshed. You are the one who has the potential to use this power to protect you and your friends."_

_"I'll try my best, but I still don't know what to do."_

_"You will know in time. Don't worry. And even through the toughest of times, know that your friends and I are watching, and will help you."_

"Is something wrong, Ruby?" Turquoise asked, concerned.

Ruby nodded. "Just thinking about what just happened."

Turquoise and Safra nod. "I can't believe that just happened. Those ruthless dragons have killed many of our friends," Safra noted.

"Why though? Why did this happen? What were those dragons after?" Turquoise questioned.

"They were after me," Ruby stated, and Turquoise and Safra stared in shock.

Turquoise opened his mouth to ask, but Ruby added, "I had a vision before we set off. The dragon who was my father told me that those dragons were after me."

"If so, our best bet would be the island where the Gemstone Kingdom is on, the Island of Gemstones." Safra informed. "If they're after you, you must be kept safe."

Turquoise and Ruby nod.

"So how much further?" Ruby asked. "Where is the Island of Gemstones?"

"It's right there, that bright dot in the distance," Safra says, pointing ahead with claw. "We're almost there."

Turquoise gaped. "Whoa... That is the Island of Gemstones? I can't wait!"

"Me too," Ruby agreed, excited.

All three flew a little faster, eager of finding a safe refuge from the Blood Dragons.

* * *

The island grew closer and closer. True to its name, the island was made of gemstones and exotic plants. Rubies, emeralds, diamonds, pearls, and all sorts of precious gemstones formed a great, majestic castle.

Large trees provided an abundance of dragon fruit and all sorts of delicious, scrumptious fruits. Any dragon could easily call this place paradise.

"Holy dragonfruits!" Turquoise nearly shouted. "This is so amazing! The stories about this place can't even express how awesome this place is!"

As they reached the island, Turquoise, Ruby, and Safra landed on the soft grass. The sun shone and sparkled on the gemstones from the castle. Crystal clear waters flowed in rivers and ponds. Colorful flowers added even more color to the already colorful place.

Ruby was speechless.

_So this is where the Gemstone Guardians really live?_

A pathway led the trio to the entrance of the castle. Along the way, there were families of Ember dragons, Moss dragons, Cloud dragons, and so many other species of dragons.

"Did they come here as well to escape the attacks?" Turquoise wondered.

Safra nodded. "Most likely. Come on, let's follow them, and then decide what to do next."

At the entrance of the castle, the doors were closed, and some dragons crowded around, waiting.

Olympic, Rainbow, and other Epic dragons were seen flying around. Some were guards of the island, patrolling to most likely see if there were any Blood Dragons waiting for a chance to kill innocent dragons.

As Safra, Turquoise, and Ruby waited, a Moon Dragon, a Sun Dragon, and a Gold Dragon arrived to greet the dragons.

"Welcome. As you've all know, we are all trying our best to keep all dragons safe from the Blood Dragons. Please enter now, and we will get everything settled," the Gold dragon bellowed in a deep voice. Everyone bowed, as the three dragons facing them were superior and part of the Gemstone Kingdom.

Walking in, Ruby couldn't help but notice some dragons perched on the stairway were watching. Their scales shimmered just like hers and even Turquoise's, even though Turquoise's scales weren't noticeably shimmery. There were several small green dragons and diamond dragons. They also looked about the same age as her.

"Mom, look at all of those dragons!" one of the green dragons squealed.

_That dragon looks just like my father..._ Ruby stared closely at the green dragons on the staircase's railing.

"Don't sit on the railing; you'll fall off. And yes, these dragons have come because of danger on the other islands," a dragon said. It was a dragon with a diamond crest and diamond wings and tail. The dragon grabbed the dragons off of the railing. Some of them protested.

"Aww..." another little green dragon yelped. "We're not going to fall, we can fly, mother!"

The diamond dragon sighed.

"Well, lunch is almost ready, kids. Go upstairs," the mother dragon told them.

Ruby looked at the family of dragons for a little longer before paying attention to what was ahead of her. Apparently, the refugees, like her and Safra and Turquoise, were going to sleep in the castle. There were spare rooms downstairs. Ten dragons were assigned to a room.

As Turquoise, Safra, and Ruby were assigned Room 178, they walked down the large hall and found the said room. Entering, they found the room was quite spacious, enough for all ten dragons to have a good amount of space.

The trio was greeted by a family of three Obsidian dragons, and a family of two Heat dragons. There was also a Meteor Dragon and a River Dragon.

"Hi," Safra greeted the other dragons, and the others politely returned the greeting.

In a matter of time, everyone agreed on where everyone would be sleeping, and general rules that would help keep the place in order, like no shouting too much, or making a mess. Everyone knew this was a place of royalty that shouldn't get messed up and disrespected.

"So who are you?" The Meteor dragon asked. She looked a little older than Ruby.

"I'm Ruby. The blue dragon over there is Turquoise, and the other one with the flower is Safra."

"My name's Comet. It's nice to meet you." Comet smiled. "The Obsidian dragons' names are Volcano, Lyra, and Chiki. Those two Heat dragons are called Hearth and Flare. The River Dragon's name is Splash."

"Thanks," Ruby responded.

"I've never seen your type of dragon. I mean, I've never seen another dragon like you or one like the one you call Turquoise," Comet noted.

Ruby shrugged, playing around with her necklace. "I've never really known that reason either."

Comet nodded. "Oh, and nice necklace. Where did you get that?"

"Oh, I don't know about that. I got it when I was born, but I don't know much about it."

"Lunch is served!" a dragon called from outside of the room.

Everyone, who was getting settled, turned around and looked towards the door. Volcano's belly suddenly grumbled.

"I guess I'm very hungry," Volcano chuckled, and everyone else laughed a little. "Come on, let's eat."

* * *

**Another chapter done! Our trio has arrived at the Gemstone Kingdom. The truth will be revealed to Ruby soon, and things will become much better and adventurous! Thanks for reading, and I may have the next chapter uploaded by next week.**


	6. A New Life

**AN: Another chapter is here! Readers, enjoy!**

* * *

Thousands of dragons crowded in the large room full of every single kind of food.

Dragon Snaps, Pumpermelons, Berry Baubles, and several other types of food were being served.

It was heaven for anybody; no ordinary dragon ever encountered this much food.

"Holy Dragonsnaps!" a dragon cried. "So...much...food!"

Several others were reacting the same. Everyone was allowed to take a seat and when the bell rung, everyone mumbled a thanks to Lord Dragonvale, the creator of the world, and started digging in.

"Mmmm..." Ruby grinned as she savored the taste of a sweet Blueshroom. She popped one more in her mouth before eating some Sarjin Pepper and a couple of bites of a Berry Bauble.

Turquoise was stuffing his mouth full.

"Turquoise, you know better than to shove food in your mouth. Plus, you'll get a stomach ache!" Safra scolded, and Turquoise mumbled an apology sheepishly before eating slowly and more politely.

Ruby glanced around the room and saw the Gemstone Dragons were eating in another room. The dragons she had seen earlier seemed to be getting a lot of food as well.

_Those dragons seem pretty spoiled,_ Ruby glanced at the dragons before eating some Dragon Snaps. _They must have been able to live like this for their whole lives!_

Eventually, Ruby had eaten up her fill. Turquoise was still eating, while Safra was almost finished eating, having a little left on her plate. Further away, she could see Comet, who was finished with her meal as well, and the Obsidian dragons were still eating hungrily, as well as the River Dragon.

Ruby made it back to her room to rest up a bit. The halls were empty, and Ruby examined the tapestries on the walls, walking slowly.

"What are you doing?" a cold voice questioned, making Ruby jump.

Ruby turned face to face with the mother dragon she had seen before. Somehow, up close, the dragon seemed quite familiar.

The other dragon appeared to be thinking the same, staring in shock. Both stared for quite a while before Ruby blinked.

"Well, either go to your assigned room or go to the Dining Room. We can not have random dragons just wandering around," the dragon sniffed, walking away.

The red dragon shrugged.

_That was rude. She looks so familiar, though..._

Ruby walked back to her room, putting the conversation with the somewhat familiar dragon out of her mind. She reached her room and shut the door behind her.

_How do I know that dragon? How is that dragon familiar?_

A sudden vision flashed through her mind.

_"...It should be the same, but look! It has the strangest green eyes and red scales. It is an abnormal creature. That dragonling doesn't belong..."_

Ruby gasped at the words that she remembered. They were directed towards her, by that same dragon she spoke to a few minutes earlier.

_"...It looks so different! It will be a disgrace, something so ugly! It needs to be sent away..." _

Things started to click together.

_"...She is like ink on a piece of paper! She looks hideous..."_

"That dragon, Diamond... is my mother."

Ruby's necklace glowed, and a barrage of memories came to Ruby without warning, and tears blurred her vision.

_A burst of pain made Ruby whimper as Diamond's sharp teeth bit her tail. She wanted to cry. Why was she being treated this way?_

_Peridot, her father, sighed and picked her up, flying away._

_Where was she being taken?_

_Green grass, trees, rocks, and sky passed around them as her father flew over several islands. Eventually, they reached a certain island, with a brook and a cave next to a waterfall. On a tall tree nearby, there was a house. _

_Peridot gently put his daughter on the ground. _

_"I'm sorry, daughter. You must fend for yourself. Your mother doesn't like you, so I really had no choice…"_

_The injury on her tail still hurt as if Diamond was still hurting her._

_"Keep this forever," Peridot whispered to the little one, and made a necklace out of a sturdy black string and a magically conjured ruby. "I'll miss you forever. Just remember that I'll love you forever," His voice cracked and he nuzzled the dragonling for the last time._

_"Your scales are made of rubies. Rubies symbolize passion and love. They are also to keep the evil away." He told Ruby._

_"I name you Ruby. You will be the one to fill the lonely with passion and love. Being immune to the evil, you will be the one to save the world from the Eternal Evil that threatens Dragonkind, according to the prophecy of Lord Dragonvale."_

_"Be safe, little one. Never give up. All of Dragonkind are waiting for you."_

Ruby glanced at her tail. There were two deep indents on her tail, where Diamond had bit too hard. It looked strange, but she had gotten used to it.

"Are you okay? Why is your necklace glowing?"

Ruby jumped. Turning around she saw it was Turquoise.

The red dragon paused, then sighed, telling the whole story. By the end of her findings, Turquoise nuzzled Ruby in attempt to calm her down.

Turquoise didn't know what to say, thinking he might accidentally say the wrong thing and end up making Ruby even more upset.

_I am immune to evil, and I'm the one to save the world, like Peridot said. Is that why I had that vision? I was the one to fill my father's place after he died, and save the world? _Ruby pieced more information together.

"Just because Diamond said you're ugly doesn't mean we think you do. Safra and I think you're the opposite. You're unique. Everyone has some beauty, despite of how ugly they are. Don't let Diamond's words discourage you. She must have been jealous. Everyone says things just to make them feel better, especially when they're envious," Turquoise advised.

"...Thanks..." Ruby mumbled, sitting on the side of the bed. "Well, if I am the one to save the world, I'd better let those other Gemstone Dragons know. Something tells me that danger will come very soon, and the Blood Dragons will attack soon."

Ruby walked to the door. "We have to tell the Gemstone Dragons. I am to fill my father's place after he died. You're right, Turquoise, Diamond neglected me, but I'm still strong. I'll prove her wrong!"

* * *

**AN: Thanks for reading, once again! Next week, a new chapter will be uploaded!**


	7. Kairos- The Lord of Dragonvale!

**Sorry for the wait!**

* * *

As Ruby stepped out the door, she had a strange impulse to walk to the left.

_Why is this happening?_

Ruby walked further and further into unfamiliar halls. As she walked on, guided by a mysterious feeling, she saw a giant, golden door.

_Open it..._ A voice echoed in her mind. She obeyed, and opened the door.

There was the largest dragon she had ever seen. The room was quite large, spacious enough for the large dragon to walk about. The giant dragon was on a stone perch, with a golden sundial-like item on the rock it was on. The dragon's blue scales shimmered in the sunlight, and contrasted with its yellow wings and underbelly. It had two giant horns that awed Ruby.

"So you have found me," the dragon bellowed. "I have been waiting for you."

"For me? Was that why I was hearing those voices in my mind?" Ruby questioned, curious.

The giant dragon nodded. "Let me introduce myself. I am Kairos, the legendary dragon you may have heard in stories. You may also call me Lord Dragonvale, as I am the protector of Dragonvale. At times, the Gemstone Dragons help me defeat the evil. I am the one who discovers prophecies, and delivers it to the Gemstone Dragons. Let me tell you a prophecy I discovered many years ago:

_One shall rise,_

_In the reign of Eternal Darkness._

_She will save the world and all of Dragonvale._

_She will rise through the darkness and prove to be strong._

_Darkness prevails, but will be beaten by the hero._

"Eternal darkness?" Ruby felt fear gnawing within.

"Yes, there will be. But there is a dragon I know who will defeat that evil."

Ruby suddenly remembered her father's words.

_"You will know when the right time comes, but I know that those dragons will come after you. No one knows what your power really is, but what you hold is so powerful that if it is put in the wrong claws of those others, it will create even more bloodshed. You are the one who has the potential to use this power to protect you and your friends."_

"Am I that dragon?"

Lord Dragonvale nodded. "You are. For now, do not worry. Time will tell when you will have to take action to save this world."

Ruby tried to believe the great dragon's words, but she still felt fear within.

"That is all for now. The other reason why I wanted you to come is to give your friend, Turquoise, this," the Lord of Dragonvale held out a shiny, blue stone. It was smooth and cool. Ruby took it in her claws, and felt a strange sensation. "It is a stone called Turquoise. It will help him discover more about himself.

The red dragon wondered what was there about Turquoise's past, but decided not to ask.

Lord Dragonvale added, "Make sure nobody sees it. It is for Turquoise, and Turquoise only."

"Okay," Ruby nodded, and said goodbye to the Lord of Dragonvale. She exited through the giant doors, and somehow was able to make her way back to her room. She was careful enough to hide the stone in her claws from the others passing by. Opening the door to her assigned room, she found that Turquoise was still alone in the room.

Turquoise looked up. "The others are still eating now."

Ruby showed the stone to Turquoise. "I met Lord Dragonvale in a room and he told me to give you this."

"Lord Dragonvale?!" Tuquoise gasped. "You really met the great dragon?"

Ruby nodded, and handed over the stone to Turquoise. As soon as he grabbed it, however, the stone glowed brightly.

Before she knew it, Turquoise had collapsed on the bed.

"Turquoise? TURQUOISE!?" Ruby shouted.

* * *

Turquoise felt himself falling through an unknown dimension of pure whiteness. He was falling and falling into a great abyss of nothingness, wondering when the fall would end. As soon as he had touched the stone, he had felt an overwhelming feeling, and had become unconscious.

His surroundings grew darker and darker, until he was enveloped in complete darkness. He landed on something soft. It was some cave moss, springy and soft. Getting up, Turquoise's eyes adjusted to the darkness. Around him was a room full of crystal. Strange etchings and paintings were on the walls, and in the middle of the room, there was a giant blue stone, like the one Ruby had given him earlier.

_What is this place? _Turquoise wondered in amazement.

Impulse led him to what was the first etching. There were two dragons with turquoise-blue scales, in a giant castle. The painting was extremely detailed, allowing Turquoise to depict the two dragons as ones that looked _just like him_.

"_These two dragons were your mother and father. They were Natalie and December. Both were kind and caring, and were part of the Gemstone Guardians in the past."_

"What?" Turquoise gasped. "Then what happened to them?"

Turquoise was led to another painting, which was the second one in the sequence. As he walked, he noticed that he was following a blue light. It was in a form of a dragon, but he was unsure if it really was or not.

"_One day, there was a great battle. It was many years from today. Natalie and December were taken hostage, and were under evil possession."_

There were many blood-red dragons, which looked a lot like the Blood Dragons he had seen before. The picture depicted chaos and panic.

"Under evil hostage? How?"

The blue dragon followed the light, and came to the third painting.

"_Months passed, and Natalie and December were still in hostage. During that time, they had a child, whose name was Turquoise."_

The dragons, which were Natalie and December, were smiling at a little blue dragonling, which looked kind of like him. Natalie and December were in a cage, where it looked dreary and miserable.

"Isn't that my name? Does this mean that I...?"

The blue light led Turquoise on to the fourth painting.

"_Unfortunately, Natalie and December were taken away, and were never seen again. Rumors said that they were executed, or they were banished into a faraway land. Nobody knows..."  
_

The picture showed the little blue dragonling alone in the cage, while the Blood Dragons took away Natalie and December.

The last picture was right next to the fourth one.

_"Turquoise was saved by a Gemstone Guardian, named Peridot. Together, they escaped back to world, where Turquoise grew up with a family of dragons."_

The dragons around Turquoise were just like the dragons he had been raised up with. Turquoise in the painting looked a little sad, as he had not yet moved on from the disappearance of his parents.

"Am I that Turquoise?"

_"Yes, you are."_

"Who are you?"

_"I am Tara, your Natalie's sister. I am your aunt, who had died years ago. I have searched for your parents, but I can't find them. But I believe they're out there somewhere, waiting for you."_

Turquoise felt shocked.

_"You are like Ruby, as you are a Gemstone Dragon as well. You are to help Ruby on her quest to save all of Dragonkind. Have faith, little one. A prophecy for you will guide your way:_

_To save all, there must be a sacrifice..."_

Turquoise felt darkness creeping in his vision, until everything grew black.

* * *

Ruby shook Turquoise, until he awakened.

"Turquoise? Are you alright?"

Turquoise sat still, remembering everything the blue spirit had told him.

"Yes I am. In fact, I feel better. I know more about my past."

"Your past? What about that?" Ruby was curious.

"I am to be a Gemstone Guardian. I am a Gemstone Dragon like you, Ruby. Together, we must fight the Blood Kingdom to save Dragonvale!"

* * *

**AN: Bet you can't wait! Turquoise's story will be important in the story later on. The adventure begins soon. Stay tuned!**


	8. Legend of the Path of Spirits

**AN: It's certainly been a while... I do hope that despite the wait, you enjoy this. I may or may not be able to update once more before the school year starts... don't count on it. I've promised way too many things, but even in my best effort, I fail to follow them. I have so many ideas for different stories that I just can't concentrate on one. So... that's my problem. Hopefully I can finish this story so it doesn't remain unfinished forever.**

* * *

"What should we do, then?" Ruby asked Turquoise as they looked at the various stones displayed in the glass cases around them. "We can't wait long here. This may be a comforting place that no one would want to leave, but we can't just stay and let the innocents on the other islands die."

"True," Turquoise said. "I think we should find a way to consult with Kairos, and maybe even the Gemstone Guardians themselves. That would be a good start."

They exited the room to try to find the Gemstone Guardians first. They walked by several halls, getting lost in the process.

"Blasted Berry Baubles!" Turquoise grumbled. "Maybe we should have first gotten some kind of map or something."

Ruby sighed. "There wasn't really a map, though. And we must be kind of close to where we need to get. There's more and more pictures of the Gemstone Guardians."

Turquoise was right. Along both sides of the walls, pictures of the Gemstone Guardians of the past were painted with great effort and detail. The further they walked, the more pedestals there were of the eggshells of each Guardian when they hatched. The pictures ahead were also newer, and eventually they found the portraits of the current Guardians of the realm.

Ruby's eyes couldn't help but gaze at the one of Diamond.

_"It looks so different!"_

The red dragon shook her head, trying to shake the memory out of her head. Turquoise had walked ahead, looking at all of the different, yet majestic dragons.

Still, Ruby couldn't take her eyes of the Diamond picture.

_"She is like-"_

"Agh! Stop it!" Ruby muttered to herself, vaguely remembering the sharp pain in her tail. Turning around, she saw the end of her tail, partially deformed and scarred, formed weirdly. It didn't seem to affect her balance too greatly, but the pain seemed to still throb, though the wound had been made many years ago.

"Ruby. Are you alright?" Turquoise asked, putting a talon on her shoulder.

"No. Yes. I don't really know," Ruby sighed, putting her claws at her head. "I still get this one memory from my real mother. She rejected me right at birth..."

What Turquoise said next surprised her. "Then prove her wrong. Prove that she was wrong to reject you."

Ruby looked up. Green eyes met orange eyes as the two stared at each other. The red dragon closes her eyes, a single tear falling to the immaculate floor. "You're right. Instead of brooding around on these painful memories, I should use them to fuel the courage I need to do what I can to fight."

"That's the Ruby I know!" Turquoise cheerfully said. "Now, I found the room where the dragons meet. Let's go talk to them, alright?"

"Alright." Ruby nodded, following after her good friend.

* * *

Turquoise and Ruby stood at the entrance of the grand doors. Each took a deep breath and nodded. The blue dragon knocked the door, which made a hollow echo sound across the empty corridor.

Several long seconds passed before a dragon opened the door.

"Kairos?" Ruby's voice wavered in shock as the massive dragon opened the doors.

_No wonder why these doors and halls are so big..._

"That is me, young Ruby. I may be a god, but I'm not a spirit. I have been waiting for you, and all the other Guardians have. Welcome, you two."

Ruby and Turquoise bowed in respect at the grand deity before entering the beautiful, enchanted room. The table was made of a swirling copper, silver, and gold, all shining with a metallic gleam in the lamps of all the gemstones. The lamps themselves were just the stones, hanging on silver or gold chains, and with a magic enchantment, the stones glowed, producing enough light without making it harshly bright. More pictures of various things were hung around the wall, which was also made of several gemstones and metals. It was quite a colorful room, to the duo's surprise.

Looking at the table, they quickly took notice of the sixteen chairs, one grand chair, and four chairs at a smaller table to the side. The bigger table with the sixteen chairs and the one massive chair (of course, for Kairos) had ten dragons at it. Kairos joined it, making the grand total of eleven dragons. The smaller table had a dragon made of bronze, silver, electrum, and gold. Of course, these were the Bronze, Silver, Electrum, and Gold dragons.

And... the RAINBOW DRAGONS! SOOOO MANY COLORS! OH, WOW!

"Oh my gods..." Turquoise muttered under his breath as he saw the Rainbow Dragons.

Their scales flashed many colors as they walked towards the room from another hallway from the back of the room.

"Oh, my... I can't believe my eyes. The legends!" Ruby couldn't help but act like her little childish self who loved the legends, hearing them all the time in grand, heroic stories.

The other dragons chuckled at Ruby's and Turquoise's amazement.

"Welcome to the Chamber of Legends. This is where all the legendary dragons meet and talk about oncoming issues of the world. Of course, you should be aware of what is happening. Your destinies are tied to the struggle that puts all dragons at stake, ours included," Kairos rumbled. "You were destined to join the Gemstone Guardians. Please sit."

Each gemstone dragon sat on their designated chairs. Ruby realized that each chair was made out of different materials. One was made out of a red gemstone, and she felt inclined to sit on it. Turquoise sat next to her on an opaque, blue stone.

"So these gemstone seats... Each one of you sit on the stone you are named after. And, are we destined to be... here?" Ruby guessed.

"Yeah!" A very small, green dragon said. He looked exactly like her father.

_My... brother...?_

"Brother?" Ruby managed to say to the green dragon.

"What do you mean by 'brother'?" the green dragon tilts his head. "I have no other siblings than Diana, Peri, Dot, and Diamant."

"...Oh..." Ruby responded awkwardly. Diamond shoots Ruby a glare, which she tries to ignore.

"Ah, why the envious glare, Diamond?" the dark blue dragon asks.

"Nothing, Sapphire." Diamond responds. No one decides to question further.

Kairos urgently said, "We have only twelve of the sixteen Gemstone Guardians. Four are missing. We must find them... I have found that the answers and the missing four are on the Path of Spirits. Only at night, when the Rock of Destiny is raised to the moon, will it unlock the path we need." Kairos holds up an ordinary rock.

"... What's so special about it?" Amethyst asks.

"It's not the outside which matters," Kairos says gently, and Ruby felt that his meaning was more metaphorical than anything. "The inside has magical properties that must be hidden. The outside of this rock prevents the powers inside from being stolen. One cannot access these powers unless they make contact with it. I trust you with this, Ruby. You and Turquoise, along with one of our newest Guardians, Olivin. He was the runt, but had the most magical properties."

"That's me," Olivin said modestly. "Though I don't know why'd they choose me, still. I have magical properties, but my siblings have it too... I'm supposed to replace my father, Peridot."

_That's... my father..._

Turquoise nods. "We won't fail."

"You have good faith, young one. Tonight, your mission will start. You will activate the magic to the stone at midnight, and you will find a path that will lead to an alternate dimension. From there, you will find the others, who will also find a place here at the Chamber of Legends."

All nod and bow, the talk over.

"May faith and courage rise before all, Guardians." the Bronze, Silver, Electrum, and Gold dragons bow as well. "Good luck on the journey."

Kairos opens the grand doors, and with some sort of fashion, the dragons file out and head off to the right, the opposite way which Ruby and Turquoise walked to the room.

Olivin walks up to meet them. "It's nice to meet you two. You two are Ruby and Turquoise?"

"Yeah. And I'm supposed to be your sister," Ruby says without knowing it.

"I don't remember that, but I guess that could be true. I have a red piece of eggshell with me, one piece of eggshell from each of my siblings and I. I like to keep them. I keep wondering what the red shard is for, and thinking about it, it looks just like your scales. They're very pretty," he says. "Come with me."

The three walk up to yet another grand room. It appears to be lined with Peridot and Diamond gemstones. A portrait of Diamond and Peridot hang on the wall. Ruby's breath catches in her throat.

"That's Father, isn't it? I saw him fall in battle to save me, Olivin."

Olivin remains silent. "We were all shocked by his death. It was destiny, though. Father knew of his death way before this war even started."

The three stare at the portraits on the wall before Olivin shows his eggshell collection. He gives Ruby the red eggshell, which glimmers just like his scales.

"It must be from my egg," Ruby says. "It feels just like my scales, they're the same color, it's not a coincidence."

"I agree, but why would Mother hid this from my siblings and I?" he takes back the eggshell and closes the glass/diamond door display. "I want to ask Mother that soon, actually. Maybe later. But come meet my siblings, I guess. They'd be happy to see friends their age come over."

For the next few hours, Olivin and his siblings, along with Turquoise and Ruby, enjoy the time together. Ruby couldn't help but feel someone's eyes on her, and it wasn't Turquoise, Olivin, or any of his siblings. The thought unnerved her, but she couldn't pinpoint the dragon who was watching her. She decided to ignore it, and before she knew it, their quest was about to embark to the strangest of dimensions.

_Our first part of the quest... The Path of Spirits..._

* * *

**Thank you for reading! I have to admit I kind of burned out of this story, but writing it again, I felt a little spark of passion for this again. I forgot how amazing the variety of dragons in Dragonvale were. Dragonvale is supposedly beaten by Dragon City, but Dragonvale is a lot better in my opinion.**

**I kind of made this up right on the spot. This is typical of me. I never really have a plan, as the only plan I have is in my imagination. I don't like actually typing my plans down, as I get kind of impatient with it. Please PM me if you find any errors with names, story-line plot information, or more. Usually when I do this kind of writing, I sometimes may forget that I included something, which can make the story partially not make sense.**

**Have a good rest of the day, and hopefully (I really, really hope myself, too) that I'll be updating soon.**


End file.
